Cebu City, Philippines – Team Mexico, a trio of Mexican prizefighters slated to fight in Pinoy Pride 8: Philippines vs. Mexico, announced that they are bringing the fight to their Filipino counterparts come fight night in a press conference held earlier today at the Maya Mexican Restaurant here in Cebu City. Team Mexico, comprised by Francisco “Chiquita” Rosas, Rosbel “Lobito” Montoya, and Gerson “El Nene” Guerrero, declared that they are tired of hearing Mexicans losing to Filipinos on Philippine soil and promises that Filipino fight fans will be in for a surprise.

Michael Lopez did all the translations.

Rosas, pitted against unbeaten Milan Melindo (24-0, 8 KOs), boasted that he will put an end to Melindo’s undefeated streak. For Herminio Ramirez, Rosas’ trainer, there is a somewhat of a grudge he holds against the Filipino fighter. Melindo’s last win was a 1st round stoppage over Rosendo Vega, Ramirez’s ward who also happens to be his brother.

“There is a desire for me to beat Melindo,” Ramirez told the press. “I have prepared my fighter very well and he (Rosas) has come to win. You will be in for surprise.”

Guerrero (36-8, 26 KOs) declared he is the superior fighter over the rising and unbeaten up-and-comer Genesis Servania (14-0, 5 KOs) of Bacolod City. While he admits Servania has the youth advantage, he simply stated that he will give his Filipino opponent “a boxing lesson”.

“I know he’s undefeated and he is young,” Guerrero told the press. “But I am older, more experienced, and I have trained hard for this fight.”

“I welcome this opportunity to fight a Filipino, even if he’s undefeated. Filipinos are great fighters.”

Guerrero paraded his notable fights, having fought with several of the best names in the his division. He also said that he has trained and sparred with Abner Mares and Rafael Marquez, Juan Manuel Marquez’s younger brother. The Mexican will be the first foreign opponent Servania will be facing in his 14-fight pro career.

Rosbel Montoya was a huge shocker to all who attended the press conference, including ALA Promotions president Michael Aldeguer. Montoya, who is assigned to take on Jason Pagara (27-1, 16 KOs), was believed to register a 12-2 win-loss slate, with 11 wins by stoppages, according to BoxRec.com. However, it was revealed during the press conference that he actually sports a 34-4-1 record with 29 knockouts.

Aldeguer said he and his team were unaware of the Montoya’s record but will go on with the event, stating that it would be unwise to pull out Pagara with less than a week before fight night.

“It’s a shocker. But it seems that Pagara will be fighting a veteran this Saturday,” Aldeguer said. “The thing with the boxing commissions in Mexico is that sometimes they don’t reveal what the real records of their fighters are .”

When pressed whether Montoya divulged his true numbers during the negotiations, the Mexican said, through interpreter Lopez, that “the one who did the matchmaking knew about it.”

Photo credits: ALA Promotions/Chad Canares

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Kenneth Ragpala Kenneth P. Ragpala is an award-winning sports blogger who has been covering the sport of boxing since 2008. His works have appeared in local newspapers in his home city in Cagayan de Oro and in several online publications abroad.
Ragpala has written for several boxing websites, namely Fight Hype, 8 Count News, and Bleacher Report.